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ShopperTrak Predicts 1.8 Percent Total U.S. Foot Traffic Rise for Q1

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ShopperTrak Predicts 1.8 Percent Total U.S. Foot Traffic Rise for Q1

1.2 Percent Retail Sales Increase Expected for Same Period

CHICAGO, IL, January 21, 2010 – ShopperTrak today reported retail sales and traffic for Q1, 2010 will perform similarly to the ’09 holiday shopping season, providing a slight lift for retailers as the retail year begins. According to the company’s Retail Traffic Index (SRTI) total U.S. foot traffic will increase 1.8 percent while the company’s National Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE) is forecasting a 1.2 percent retail sales rise for the three-month period.  
Following a rather dismal 2009, retailers received some much needed positivity during the holidays as the late spending rush saved the season, providing a 1.7 percent retail sales increase with a 2.9 percent traffic decline – slightly above the company’s anticipated performance. After analyzing current and historical data, ShopperTrak believes retail sales will perform very similar to the holidays, while quarterly traffic is expected to increase – a phenomenon that didn’t happen in any quarter in ’09. By comparison, ShopperTrak reports Q1 2009 sales fell 4.2 percent, while total U.S. foot traffic slipped a sharp 13.0 percent. 
Early in Q1, retailers should experience lower sales and traffic levels following the frantic final two weeks in December that ultimately pushed the holiday season into the Black. ShopperTrak reports that these slower levels will most likely continue through President’s Day (Feb. 15) – which should provide a slight uptick due to the long weekend – then remain slightly above last year’s pace until St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) which could also provide a slight retail uptick as well.
“While we don’t anticipate anything extraordinary over the first three months in 2010, the fact that our data initially points to a Q1 retail traffic increase is something retailers should pay close attention to as traffic is typically a great indicator of future sales performance,” said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak. “Although the potential traffic numbers are relatively encouraging, we’re comparing to a very slow traffic period in ’09 and at this point don’t anticipate any major sales or traffic increases in Q2 as the retail industry continues to shake off the cobwebs from 2009.”  
Developed by ShopperTrak, the NRSE provides a nationwide benchmark of retail sales. It is derived from the U.S. Commerce Department's GAFO (general
merchandise, apparel, furniture, sporting goods, electronics, hobby, books and other related store sales) statistic, as well as ShopperTrak proprietary industry intelligence on shopper movement and sales statistics.
The ShopperTrak Retail Traffic Index™ measures traffic across five separate retail segments including total U.S. retailing. Available as a database or in newsletter format, SRTI reports national and regional traffic trends in a rolling 16 month trend line.
A privately held entity, ShopperTrak leverages 20 years of retail expertise to be the industry's authority for information and analysis of the movement of shoppers in retail environments. ShopperTrak's cutting-edge shopper tracking products and indices offer retail intelligence solutions that enable companies to better understand retail trends and the impact of store and staff performance on company revenues. With more than 50,000 units installed in the world's best known retail outlets and malls, the company's solutions also provide a proven means for retailers to gauge labor efficiencies, advertising and marketing efforts, store design and remodeling programs, merchandise changes, associate training programs, and other budget-intensive strategic initiatives. For more information visit http://www.shoppertrak.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The data contained within this news release is the property of ShopperTrak RCT Corporation and may be reprinted, published or broadcast, provided proper credit is given to the National Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE), the ShopperTrak Retail Traffic Index and ShopperTrak RCT Corporation as the supplier of the information. Please contact Aaron Martin at 312-943-9100 if you have any questions concerning the use of this data.

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